Doctors & Mechanics

Have you ever taken your car in the shop for some mysterious noise you hear every time you drive it only to get it to the mechanics and while they have it they can’t find any issue or the problem doesn’t replicate itself? It’s frustrating as … well it’s frustrating.

That kind of is happening to me with all these doctor's appointments. I went in to the ENT to have Bogie checked out, got sent here (Oncologist), there (Hospital) and everywhere (back to Oncologist). Then got sent back to the ENT for a completely different issue (nasal polyps), only to be told that the polyps probably aren’t causing any issues with my sinuses and breathing. (Note – I said polyps using the plural form.) So now, I’m being sent somewhere else to have a sleep study done, because he (the ENT) thinks that maybe the problem is my throat – not that he looked in my throat or anything mind you. I fail to see how any problem my throat might or might not have can possibly cause sinus pressure in my head. Now I’m no doctor, but that doesn’t make sense to me.

Regardless, for the last month and a half I’ve been migraine free. Yea! … until yesterday. As I was leaving the ENT’s office a migraine hit. I kid you not. Fortunately I had someone with me that could drive. Point being, in the office – nothing. Out of the office – migraine. Then this morning when getting up I blew my nose and all I got was blood. I didn’t have a nosebleed. I just had blood in the mucus. I’m not trying to be disgusting folks, just trying to make the car analogy more relevant.

To be fair, I took Excedrin Migraine yesterday when I got home from the doctor’s office and it has aspirin in it. I have an allergy to aspirin. It’s not severe, but I have had it every since I can remember. This next statement is a common fact and I didn’t look it up on WebMD (see 2 posts ago) … Aspirin allergies can cause nosebleeds (which is why I don’t take it very often) and it can also irritate nasal polyps. So that’s three strikes for me.

Now back to the PLURAL nasal polyps. I don’t have one. I have two. Both in my cheeks or thereabouts. The ENT said that nasal polyps are normal, non-cancerous and more people than you realize have them and don’t know it. As a matter of fact, I bet half of you reading this have at least one nasal polyp. Of course, half of you reading this are from or live in the Ohio Valley, so really that was an easy guess. He said he didn’t think that they were causing me any distress, but he still wanted to look at some older scans to see if he can determine how long I’ve had them. He’s working that out with the hospital.

In the meantime, I have to have a sleep study. This is one of the main reasons why I have avoided going to an ENT in the first place. I don’t want to have a sleep study. Don’t misunderstand, I know many people who have had to go through sleep studies and as a result were given CPAP Machines to help them sleep better and/or to keep them breathing through the night. Most people love their CPAPs and I think it’s awesome that it helps those people. But I don’t feel like my problem has anything to do with that. Not saying I wouldn’t benefit from it, I just don’t think that’s the problem. Again, I’m not a doctor, but you know when your body is trying to tell you something. I’ve done my very best to interpret that “something” to various doctors and I feel like I’m going in circles or at the very least my car is in the shop and the mechanic can’t find anything wrong. Oh and don’t forget the big whopping charge you get every time the mechanic hooks your car up to the thingy that does the diagnostics. Yeah, that’s me and the all the doctor’s visits.

Maybe I just need to move to Arizona or New Mexico. Sure it’s like 500° in the summer, but it’s a dry heat. Yeah, I risk spontaneous combustion with heat like that, but if I could breathe while I’m combusting then that seems like a fair trade off. Of course, Mojo wouldn’t like the move so alas I’m stuck with the Ohio Valley and crappy sinuses and allergies. I love my home state of Kentucky, I just wish that the climate was more like Irvine, CA where they think 65° is a cold front and 80° is a heat wave. I just said that last part for my friend Karolyn’s benefit. Wooooooooooooo!

I’ll keep you posted as The Saga of the Ghastly Gasping unfolds. Or maybe it’s The Ballad of Bad Breathing. Whatever.

Peace Out,

Kat

1 Peter 5:7

Scan Results Revealed ...

It's amazing what can happen in just two weeks. A lot has happened, but to spare those sitting on the edge of their seats for the results of my scans I'll keep you from the wait and agony I've had to go through. I'm fine ... well as fine as I'll ever be.

The scan showed no abnormalities in any lymph nodes. I'm still cancer free!!!

Bogie is a lymph node that is associated with my parotid gland. And just so none of you will WebMD what that is (see last post), the parotid gland is a salivary gland. I asked the doctor why it looks like a soccer ball is sitting behind my jaw if there is nothing to worry about. She said and I quote, "Because that's the way God made you and it doesn't look like a soccer ball." Her words, not mine. That being said, she also indicated that the tissue surrounding Bogie might be pressing on him and making him more noticeable, but I presently have nothing to worry about concerning the lymph nodes and/or any infection. I do have to keep an eye on Bogie but for now all's good. I thank God for this news and feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders. Leslie – looks like you were right. Bogie will be with me for a very long time and I can live with that.

However, the scan did show that I have cyst in my sinus cavity. Like that's surprising. I've only been saying that for the last 4 years and I do live in Kentucky. We don't call it the Ohio Valley crud for nothing. Let's face it, my sinuses are crap. At least I now have medical proof. My next course of action is to take a CD of the scans to my ENT and let him figure out what to do about this sinus thing. My sincere hope is that the ENT can get rid of this cyst. While I don't really relish the idea of somebody sticking something up my nose for a cyst removal, I'd gladly take surgery over the panic I feel every time I lay down and I can't breathe or the pressure in my head and face every time I bend over or the migraines I suffer from constantly over the last four years.

Yes, I'd risk surgery to breathe normally again, but that's jumping the gun. This may be controlled through medicine. Either way, I'm getting excited by the prospect that FINALLY something might be done.

It makes me smile to know I was right all along. I mean it doesn't take a genius to figure out if you can breathe or not. Of course, even now as I sit here expressing my optimism, my sinuses are closing up in rebellion. My ears are clogged and ringing and my face feels like it's going to explode. They taunt me ... especially when I lay down. Logic dictates that if you can't breathe through your nose, you breathe through your mouth, but panic often overrides logic and once panic sets in I have to sit straight up and gasp for air or I feel like I'll suffocate. So yes, I'm very optimistic and one step closer to a solution. And big bonus ... NO CANCER!!!! I'm doing the "Kathy Dance" and before you ask no video footage of said dance will be released.

A big thanks to all of you who expressed your concern and love over the past two weeks. You are such a blessing to me and I am a fortunate person to have each of you in my life. I praise God for giving me such a loving family and wonderful friends. Without you, I would not have survived this wait – at least not with my hair in tact.

Love to you all,

Kat
1 Peter 5:7

There's A Bogie in Sector 7G

Not much has happened since the last time I posted. As a matter of fact, I had a six month check-up with the oncologists in January. There was nothing, I mean absolutely nothing of significant interest to convey to you. I couldn’t even make something up in my overactive imagination to even entertain the masses. Everything was normal. Except for the whole superior vena cava thing. And the neuropathy in my toes. And the migraines.

So these past six months I’ve been walking along and looking up at the clouds and seeing the silver lining. You know, the problem with looking up when you’re walking is that eventually, you’re gonna stumble and fall, walk into a pole or wall or at the very least, trip over the crack in the sidewalk.

That happened to me yesterday. I was happily looking up at the silver lining, when BAM … right into the pole. Of course, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and looked back to the clouds and noticed that my silver lining needed some Tarn-X. I hate Tarn-X. It works like mad crazy, but stinks like rotten eggs on the bayou. Point being, I don’t use it unless it is absolutely necessary.

Here’s what happened. I went in for another six month check-up with one of my oncologists. This one is the survivorship doctor. In order for you to get perspective, I need to tell you the back story. Because with me, there is always a back story …

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, before I was even assigned an oncologist, I noticed a small lump behind my jaw, under my ear lobe. Very small, but big enough that I asked the surgeon about it. He looked at it and poked it a few times then hemmed and hawed and decided that it was most likely a swollen salivary gland and that it was nothing to worry about. His exact words were, “Don’t worry about it. You’re getting ready to undergo months of chemotherapy and most likely radiation after that. If it were something to worry about, it won’t be in six or seven months.”

I took him at his word.

After the all the chemo and the radiation the lump, which I shall now refer to as Lumphrey Bogart, or Bogie for short, was still there. However, all my blood tests, CT Scans and PET Scans were normal. I felt it just must be a swollen salivary gland like the surgeon had said. I was declared to be in remission so I figured there was nothing to worry about. So I didn’t.

Fast forward three and a half years of normal blood tests, check-ups, scans and x-rays to about two months ago and I noticed that Bogie was getting a little bit big for his britches. Now I like Bogie. I mean we are connected. We are close. I take him everywhere I go, but the fact remains that he is growing. So that made me think why would he be growing? Do salivary glands grow? Not knowing that answer I Googled the location of all the salivary glands to do a little light reading on the subject. The first thing that popped up in the search was a 3D rendering of the location of the salivary glands. I thought wow this is exactly what I’m looking for. I clicked on the picture and shoot-fire if it wasn’t linked to the Mayo Clinic.

 I know I should have looked first, but I got duped and sucked in by the cool 3Dness of the picture. If there is one thing I’ve learned through all the cancer stuff, it’s that you should never look up a medical issue on the Mayo Clinic or WebMD sites or any sites like that. All you’re going to get is a list of possible problems and most of them being the worst case scenario which makes people freak out and run to the doctor’s office with what they self-diagnosed as utterly preposterous issues and most likely not even remotely related to the actual problem. Try looking up a lower back ache on WebMD’s symptom checker. I just did this to prove my point.  I do have frequent lower back pain and I have been to the doctor for it. But for the purposes of this discussion I checked lower back pain, went through the series of questions and the following list are the possible issues: 

Cauda Equina Syndrome	Muscle Strain	Degenerative Disc Disease
Lumbar (low back) Strain	Acute Kidney Failure	Fibromyalgia
Lumbar (low back) Herniated Disk	Osteomyelitis (Bone Infection)	Osteoporosis
Vertebral Compression Fracture (Lumbar)	Kidney Stones	Ankylosing Spondylitis
Bone Spurs	Broken (fractured) Low Back Vertebra	Broken (fractured) Shoulder Blade
Cervicitis	Dermatomyositis	Endometriosis
Helicobacter Pylori Infection	Hydronephrosis	Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis)
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis	Miscariage	Ovarian Cysts
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease	Prementrual Syndrome (PMS)	Prolpsed Bladder
Prolapsed Embolism	Ulcerative Colitis	Uterine Fibroids
Vertebral Compression Fracture (Thoracic)	Aoritc Aneurysm (Abdomen)	Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Spinal Tumor	Tick Bite	Endocarditis
Renal Cell (Kidney) Cancer

You know what the doctor says is the reason for my back pain? I’m overweight, I have a bulging disc and like my father, I have degenerative disc disorder. Only one of those symptoms was listed as a possibility on WebMD. I’m not saying WebMD won’t come up with the right issue, but I’m saying that you can’t get a proper perspective when you have 37 possible outcomes, most of which are really major medical issues. This is why if you have a problem, you go to the doctor. Once the doctor gives you the answer, then and only then, should you look it up on the web and then only from credible and reputable websites.

I know I just chased a rabbit, but I can’t stress this enough. STOP TRYING TO SELF DIAGNOSE!!!

That being said, after I had a total freak out about all the issues that could be the problem. I actually went to my general practitioner and let him be the one to tell what Bogie’s issue was. He gave me “that” look. The same look I got when I resembled Quasimodo and had a tumor sitting on a nerve in my shoulder. It’s not a comforting look to say the least.

However, being a great doctor, he was honest and said he didn’t know and decided to run a few blood tests and send me off to an ENT. The blood tests came back all within normal ranges. This news made me feel better.

The ENT was nice enough, but he poked and prodded poor Bogie until I thought he was going to make Bogie mad, but to Bogie’s credit he took it in stride. The ENT measured Bogie and said, “Well if it hasn’t gotten any bigger than this in the last four years, it’s probably something you’ll go to your grave with.”

That did not make me feel better. As a matter of fact that was a bit general and it could have gone either way. So my response, which I felt was a reasonable one, was, “Ok. That’s fine, but are you talking about me going to my grave 40 years from now or 40 days?”

He responded, “Meh.”

Really? Meh? That’s hardly comforting. I mean, I know we aren’t promised tomorrow, but dang. He then said that he didn’t think it was anything to worry about, but he would wait to look at some older scans from my oncologist. That made me feel better.

This all brings me to yesterday when I had my check up with one of the oncologists. I tried very hard to stress that the ENT doesn’t seem to think it’s an issue. She looked Bogie over, poked around and measured him and said, “CT Scan. We need to do one. It may be nothing, but I don’t like it. Lay down.” That did not make me feel better.

I didn’t even get to say anything before she was pulling the leg extender out from the examining table and lightly pushing me back. She pressed hard on my stomach a few times and asked if anything hurt. I told her nothing was hurting and she said I could sit up. Once I sat back up she said, “CT Scan of your stomach and legs too.” That made me feel even worse. I think I actually winced when she said that.

I said, “What?! Why?! What do you know?!”

She smiled and said in a not so reassuring voice, “Nothing,” then sent me off to have my blood work.

Now do you see why I’m a total hypochondriac? Regardless, I’m scheduled for two CT Scans next week and then the week after I have a follow-up visit with the oncologist. So now I’m in a hurry up and wait mode once again. I’m doing my best to be all “glass half full” and not worry about it until they tell me I have something to worry about, but always in the back of the mind is that nagging feeling that there could be something wrong and that Bogie has turned on me.

I’ll keep you posted with the outcome of the tests. You’ll know what I know when I know it.

-Kat

1 Peter 5:7

The Follow-Up ...

Sorry to keep the good folks out there waiting for my update on the heart situation. It was not intentional, but this is honestly the first time since my follow-up appointment that I have had to sit down and write this.

To say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement. To say I was scared witless is probably more accurate. I was scared that I'm 12 days away from turning 40 and my chest was going to have to be cracked open for a bypass or, at the very least, a stent. These kinds of medical problems only serve to feed my hypochondria and making me wait only enables it more.

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded – well those specific fears were unfounded. I've learned a very important truth. ER personnel stink at communication skills. I was told I had NO right superior vena cava. So imagine my surprise when my doctor told me I had a BLOCKED right superior vena cava. Big difference in saying something is missing versus saying something is blocked. Big difference.

Of course not being well versed in medical speak, I'll let this one slide. Regardless, the issue is that I have a blocked vein to my heart. My doctor told me based on the report from my hospital trip that I shouldn't worry about it. All the scans, tests, ultrasounds and whatever medical poking and prodding they did showed that I'm fine and that my heart has bypassed the vein all on its own.

As for the rest of my symptoms, I've pretty much struck out from anyone admitting that any of them were tied to the heart issue. I think it's a vicious conspiracy perpetrated by the medical community for the purposes of encouraging the hypochondria meaning more doctor's visits and more money for them. OK, I don't actually believe that since I happen to have great doctors. OK, I believe it a little bit, but I don't blame the doctors ... much.

I walked away without so much as an aspirin regimen. The only thing the doctor would even consider being remotely related to my heart was the migraines. He did give me something to take at the onset of one and I need to track them for the next three months to see how frequent they may be. If they are too frequent, then he will give me a daily medication for them. Otherwise, I'll stick with what I got.

I've been cleared to keep exercising and if I so choose I can drink caffeinated beverages. All in all an uneventful, but very relieving visit to the MD.

I am indeed very thankful and grateful for all the well wishes, cards, visits, phone calls, inquiries, prayers and hugs that I have received over the last week and a half. I'm a lucky person and God continues to bless my life.

Without a doubt, in 12 days I will be happy to celebrate the big 4-0. And if that isn't a hint people, I don't know what is! Just sayin'.

 

God bless,

Kat

1 Peter 5:7

Hospital Horrors ...

I think it’s safe to say that cancer really and truly sucks. So do the after effects. I mistakenly thought that once I was in remission it would be smooth sailing. My body has not agreed with me on this point. So let’s tally the score sheet. Symptoms that I have gotten during and since my cancer treatments are as follows:

• Migraines
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in my ankles
• Pressure in my head and face when bending down to pick something up
• General fatigue

All these symptoms had been explained away. For instance, the migraines were probably a combination of hormones and sinuses. The fatigue was because my body went through so much with the chemo and radiation. So on and so forth. These are reasonable explanations, but don’t really offer solutions to the problem.

So for a while now I’ve been feeling like a hypochondriac. While I know that I feel like crud, there never seemed to be any one thing they could put their finger on. Thursday, this all changed. To make a very long story short, I’ll cut to the chase. I’ll not elaborate about the six and a half hours it took in the ER waiting room just to get a room in the ER to be seen. Nor will I mention the fact that after that I spent another seven hours in the ER waiting for a hospital bed to open up to be admitted, that I was questioned, poked and prodded until about 6:00 Friday morning before I was allowed to finally get some sleep only to be awakened two hours later by another round of poking and prodding.

No, I won’t mention all that. I also won’t go into detail that the needy Nelly next to me constantly talked and interrupted EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION I had with family, friends and doctors and buzzed the nurses repeatedly and argued with her physician and complained about her food and bothered me with questions about her computer and the internet and everything else she could find to talk about. No, I’ll leave that subject alone.

The real “heart” of the problem is this … while in the ER they did a CT Scan on my chest to check for blood clots. I was psyched that they found the structure of my heart was normal and they didn’t find any clotting. Psyched I tell you! Psyched! That is until they said the dreaded word, “but …”

That’s right, it’s always the big but that lets people know how FUBARed the situation has really become. I will not take the time to explain what FUBAR stands for. Those of you that already know, I don’t need to tell and those of you who don’t know, believe me, you don’t want to know. Suffice it to say it means messed up. REALLY messed up.

The big but in this case meant that the scan showed that there was, and I quote, “an absence of the right superior vena cava to my heart.” So what the heck is a vena cava you may ask? I know I did! Well, in laymen’s terms it is a big ole vein that pumps the blood back to my heart. Now, let that sink in for a moment …


… And now comes the “HOLY CRAP!” moment that my parents and I had when they were telling us this.

Fortunately, because God is an awesome God and He knew what He was doing when He created the human body, my heart has compensated for this by using smaller veins and capillaries to pump blood into itself. Unfortunately, my circulation isn’t near what it should be, thus potentially causing all the issues listed above.

While in the hospital, my oncologist and a cardiologist both agree that this problem with the vena cava is due to where they placed the mediport in my chest so that I could receive the chemo treatments. Apparently, the body doesn’t particularly like foreign objects placed in the veins to your heart. The people most likely have this kind of issue that were not born with it are people who have had pacemaker wires, dialysis, other heart or intravenous catheters, or people like me who have had lymphoma tumors and/or mediports implanted. I sure there are other various causes, but I have not read extensively on the subject since I just learned about it Thursday.

They ran a number of tests on me to make sure that I didn’t have any clotting or blockages. I had to have a heart ultrasound which wasn’t too bad. I had already had two of those while I was undergoing the chemo so I knew what to expect. I also had to have a stress test – they said something wasn’t working somewhere so it would have to be done in two parts over two days. Translation: We need to be able to charge more money so we will keep you here for another day.

On Friday, I was injected with dye and stuck on a table for pictures to be taken of my heart. No big deal. I wasn’t supposed to eat or drink anything after midnight, but was supposed to have had a stress meal the next morning before the test. They told me that I would have my stress test around 8:30 in the morning. I fell asleep Friday night around 10:00. Saturday morning I woke up at 7:30. I waited patiently for my stress meal. 8:30 came and went and no one came to get me for the stress test. Needy Nelly was still asleep when they brought her breakfast in at 9:00. I waited patiently for my stress meal. At 9:30 one of the nurses came in and said, “I don’t know why you haven’t gotten your stress meal. I’ll call downstairs to see where it is at.” I thanked Nice Nurse Michelle and waited patiently for my stress meal.

A little after 10:00, my pastor strolled in with a cup of finely brewed coffee. I don’t drink coffee, but since I was hungry AND hadn’t had any caffeine since Thursday night, I was seriously thinking about stealing his coffee. Before I had the chance, Nice Nurse Michelle brought me a Sprite and said I could drink that since I was obviously not getting the stress meal. I had a few sips of Sprite and at about 10:45 they came to take me down for the stress test. My stomach growled. Pastor Hughes said a prayer and was off, taking his coffee with him.

I was wheeled down to the treadmill room and hooked up to every monitor lead they could find. They had five leads across my chest and five leads underneath my left breast. I only am making a point to tell you this as it plays a part later on in the story. They left me sitting in this cold meat locker of a room to wait for the doctor to come in to administer the stress test all the while thinking about the stress meal I never got. After about an hour, the doctor came in and they were getting me ready to get on the treadmill.

Now I have all 10 leads hooked up to my body, a blood pressure cuff attached to my right arm, a syringe of sodium chloride sticking out of the IV in my left arm and a gown that doesn’t ever seem to cover enough but is enough material to keep getting in the way when Omar the lab tech introduces himself. He gets me up on the treadmill and states, “This will start out slow and gradually get faster.” I said, “ok."

Omar started the treadmill at the speed of light and after I caught myself, I said with a bit of irritation to my voice, “That was not gradual.” His response was, “Yeah, I’m not real familiar with this machine.” My response was given with even more irritation as I said, “Well, OMAR, maybe you should stop touching the buttons and get someone in here that is familiar with this machine.”

The doctor then piped in with a, “You’re doing great!” comment. Of course I was doing great, I wasn’t thinking about the stupid treadmill. I was thinking about hitting OMAR upside the head. The doctor told Omar to kick it up a notch and the treadmill moved into warp speed. Then the doctor indicated that he wasn’t getting a correct reading on my heart rate. I know what my heart rate was … it was exploding you jerk! So they brought in Trish because she hooked me up. Trish decided that I had too much boobage – that was her clinical term for it – and it was interfering with one of the leads.

So now, I have all 10 leads hooked up to my body, a blood pressure cuff attached to my right arm, a syringe of sodium chloride sticking out of the IV in my left arm, a gown that doesn’t ever seem to cover enough but is enough material to keep getting in the way, Omar the lab guy trying to stick another syringe in my arm so they can inject some dye and Trish holding my left breast and pressing on the lead while I’m trying to walk very quickly on a treadmill. Really? I mean really?

At this point I have to wonder why these oddities keep occurring when I’m being tested for something. Rewards to the first person who can give me a credible answer for this little pondering. Regardless, I got through the stress test was made to wait again and then stuck on the table to have more pictures of the heart taken. All of that to say there was no clotting or blockage and that I could go home. I was thankfully discharged from the hospital at 6:00 Saturday evening.

I do not know what the course of treatment will be for the superior vena cava, which subsequently isn’t looking all that superior, but I do have a follow up appointment with my general practitioner on Wednesday. Hopefully, he will give me some clear guidance as to the do’s and don’ts and what my options at this point are.

Thanks to all of the well wishes and prayers. I appreciate them and all of you. Hopefully, I will have an update in the next few days.

- Kat 1 Peter 5:7

Dazed and Confused

For those of you keeping up, I went in for my six-month check-up with my oncologist on Monday. To say I was dazed and confused by the time the appointment was over is a bit of an understatement.

However, before I go any further I will put your minds at ease and tell you that I am doing well and am still cancer free. The X-rays looked great and since I haven’t gotten any phone calls, I am assuming my blood work is fine also. They will only call me when the news is bad.

The visit started off with an overview and follow-up from a nurse practitioner in the office. She asked if I was having any issues - you know the typical doctor/patient dialogue. Then my oncologist came in holding his chest and spouting foreign words and phrases like, “soon to be 40” and “mammogram” and other such nonsensical terms.

Here’s where he drops the doom and gloom:

Did you know that when you have radiation treatment in the areas I had radiation treatment (neck, chest and side) that it increases your risk of getting heart disease, breast cancer and thyroid disease/cancer?

Did you know that while not a rare form of cancer, Hodgkin’s Disease is not considered a common form either? And did you that the recurrence of Hodgkin’s is not only possible, but more likely probable?

Of course you did. Or you should have because I was told that during my treatment a couple + years ago. However, what I was not informed of was the significance of the risks. He went on to say that now that I’m in remission he wanted me to go to a survivorship doctor. They specialize in more foreign phrases like, “all the long-term effects the treatment did to you”.

Excuse me? Long-term effects? Like how long is long-term? A year, five years, a lifetime? You mean there are more potential problems than neuropathy and difficulty breathing and migraines and hypochondria? Good grief – literally.

So then he goes back on the mammogram thing. He told me that I need to have a mammogram because:
1) It is that time in my life that it needs to be done and
2) They need to check to make sure the radiation treatment hasn’t caused me to have breast cancer … but, … wait for it … he doesn’t like the fact that to check the possible damage of radiation you have to have a mammogram and that is essentially putting more radiation in your body so I have to see this survivorship doctor first (but not for six months I might add) to see if there are other ways to do a mammogram or some other facsimile thereof. However, before I go see the survivorship doctor, I have to have a chest x-ray which also pumps more radiation into my body. So I really don’t see the difference in just getting the mammogram versus having another x-ray and then being told to get a mammogram … see why I’m confused?

Bottom line is that most tests for cancer involve coming into contact with some form of radiation. X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PT scans, mammograms all have the potential to do harm over the “long-term”. And if you have had cancer and are in remission then the number of tests you have in life is increased exponentially as you will need to continue having these tests to monitor your health. The radiation treatment for cancer might cause cancer. Aftercare testing might cause cancer. Airport security might cause cancer. Drinking the water might cause cancer. You get the idea. And that’s just the effects of the radiation. Don’t even get me started on the “long-term” effects of the chemotherapy … mostly because I will need to talk to the survivorship doctor first to get a list of potentially harmful and “long-term” side effects that have yet to raise their specter.

When I left his office, I seriously had no clue as to what he just said to me. I knew I should have taken someone with me or at least recorded the conversation. So as of right now, aside from the migraines I continually have, I don’t think I have any health issues …

Oh, but wait! I have to schedule an appointment with my GP for blood work and other stuff. I went in December with my annual 10 month long sinus infection that I always seem to get at that time of year and he had the nerve, the unmitigated gall, to tell me that I was at “that age” in which I should start getting regular six month check-ups to check my cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and whatever (sigh) middle-aged people have to deal with. Gah! “That age,” indeed! I would be incensed if it weren’t somewhat maybe kinda true. But still, he didn’t have to say it. I have feelings, you know.

Anyway, as always I appreciate your prayers and kind words of encouragement. It means so much to me. I hope your New Year is going well.

God bless,
Kat
1 Peter 5:7

The Most Memorable T.V. Theme Songs - In My Opinionation

I recently was going through some old cd's deciding which ones to convert to a digital format, when I came across my collection of Television’s Greatest Hits. Bonus: I have more than one volume!! Then I started to think, T.V. shows don’t have good theme songs any more- assuming that they have any theme songs at all. Most just play credits while the opening scenes are going on.

As I was perusing my collection I came up with MY Top 10 T.V. Theme songs. Let me re-state these are MY Top 10 not anyone else’s and not subject for debate. I recognize the fact that there were/are many T.V. theme songs that were great – these are just MY 10 favorite ones.

Also let me preface this list by saying that just because it’s a memorable theme song, that does not mean I watched every single program on this list. But that just goes to my point as to how memorable a Theme Song can be – if you know what the theme song is and you never watched the program, then that’s good stuff. Again – only my opinion people.

#10 – The Facts of Life

Who can forget the escapades of the girls going to school at the prestigious all-girl boarding school, Eastland School in Peekskill, NY? This show was originally a spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes and centered around Ms. Edna Garrett as she became the housemother to the girls of Eastland. By the 2nd season Ms. Garrett was moved to the position of dietitian and the cast was whittled down to four main girls - spoiled rich girl Blair, impressionable and quick-witted, Natalie, naïve and adorable Tootie and rough, tumble, motorbike-loving Jo.



#9 - Scooby Doo, Where Are You!

This is the first incarnation of the famous gang from Mystery Inc. This one premiered in 1969 and far surpasses any other version - and there have been many other more recent versions, plus a couple of really bad movies that shouldn't even have been made. But if you really want to see how it all began, you should really see the original. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and that big ole, goofy Great Dane, Scooby Doo are a true classic that still stands the test of time.





#8 - Wonder Woman

I don't remember much about it, other than it was based off the comic and starred Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. I do remember she had a magic lasso and knew how to use it. It also starred Lyle Waggoner for any one who is interested. Check out the groovy theme music it had.





#7 - Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

I never saw this show. I do know that it was a children's game show based off a computer game of the same name. I did play the game a couple of times. Hey, don't judge. I worked in the Children's Dept. at the Library. Of course someone had to test it every now and then to make sure the disk still worked. Lynn Thigpin starred as "The Chief" on the show and from the few clips I've seen, I'd have to say she fit the part perfectly. But if anyone can listen to this Rockapella song and not tap their foot to it - kudos to you. I find the song infectious. You need to get past the 1st 20 seconds before the songs starts - sorry.





#6 - Simon & Simon

I loved Simon and Simon. My parents watched it so therefore, if I was watching T.V. at that time, I was watching what they were watching. Sigh ... those were the days of a one T.V. household. But I digress ... The premise of this show revolved around two private detective brothers that were total opposites from one another. Starring Gerald McRaney as Rick Simon and Jameson Parker (I had to look that one up) as A.J. (Andrew Jackson) Simon. Many of the shows revolved around the different ways the two would handle a case. Rick being more brash and combative and A.J. being a bit smoother and self-composed.





#5 - The Cosby Show

Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable - need I say more? Well, throw in Phylicia Rashad, Malcom-Jamal Warner and a slew of others, including Keshia Knight Pulliam and hilarity ensued. Bill Cosby is like every dad or the way every dad should be - a story-telling, fun-loving and sandwich eating dad everyone loves. This is my favorite version of the theme song. Actually, there were seven different versions of the theme song in all its years on the small screen. This particular one was performed by Bobby McFerrin of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" fame.





#4 - Roseanne

Say what you will about Roseanne Barr the person, but Roseanne Conners the character was the typical Mid-Western mom. This sitcom about a working middle class family dealing with every day struggles was one of television's 50 greatest shows. Roseanne had a smart-alec answer for most of her kids questions, didn't seem overly concerned that most of her dysfunctional family was coming unglued at the seams, but at the heart of it all, she did the best she could to raise her family and support her husband. The theme song fit into setting of the show perfectly. Plus, the laugh/cackle at the end is great. Like The Cosby Show, there were several different versions during it's run on T.V.




#3 - Family Feud

Originally airing in 1976 and hosted by Richard Dawson, this game show is on of television's most popular game show. It's been cancelled and revived almost as much as The Family Guy. Among Dawson's successors were Ray Coombs, Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O'Hurley and Steve Harvey, who is the current host. This is one of the catchiest game show theme songs ever!





#2 - Blossom

This teenage girl had a lot on her plate. Her mother walked out, her father had to cope with raising his family alone, her oldest brother was recovering from substance abuse and her other brother, while good-natured, was a complete idiot. But we forgave the latter half because he was played by Joey Lawrence and let's face it, he was a hottie - actually, he still is. Anyway, Blossom, along with her best friend Six, found humor and the positive in most situations. The words to the theme song suggest just that. Performed by the great Dr. John and you have a hit.




#1 - The Jeffersons

Starting as recurring characters on All In The Family, The Jeffersons spun off and ran for 11 seasons. George Jefferson's career as a dry cleaner took off and as a result, he packed his family up from Queens and moved to Manhattan where the fun began. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford were George and Louise Jefferson, but it was their, wise-cracking, back-talking housekeeper, Florence Johnston, played by Marla Gibbs, that rounded out the show. "Movin' On Up" was the theme song and it is without a doubt one of the most memorable television theme songs in history - at least for me it is.